William & Charlotte Kelderhouse Farm

This 65-acre homestead in historic Port Oneida centers on a farmhouse built around 1910. The house, orchard and open farm fields tell the story of a place that served the whole community, not just one family. It is a good stop if you like the human story behind rural landscapes. To show the house in its setting, leave some of the grass and trees around it in the frame.

The house was also the neighborhood grocery, telephone exchange and post office, all run by Charlotte Kelderhouse. It hosted community meetings, too. Local families rode over with baskets of eggs and left with groceries, making this farmhouse a practical center of daily life in Port Oneida.

Thomas Kelderhouse bought the land in 1863. The present house came later, around 1910, and an orchard planted by the family in the early 20th century is now being restored. A fenced nursery near the house holds about 250 heritage apple trees across roughly 30 varieties, including Cortland, Russet, Wagener, Ben Davis, Wolf River, Rhode Island Greening, Champion and Spy. A pear tree stands between the farmhouse and the nearby cemetery.

The farm is east of Port Oneida Road, across from the Port Oneida School. Students from the school planted sugar maples near the house, which the Kelderhouses tapped for syrup. NPS allows limited picking of ripe fruit for personal use, so treat it as a seasonal extra rather than planning around a particular crop. The neighboring cemetery is privately owned and is a separate property.